In the mysterious haunt of the Clutching Hand, all were still standing around Elaine and the wounded Pitts Slim.
Just then a cry from one of the group startled the rest. One of them, less hardened than the Clutching Hand, had turned away from the sight, had gone to the window, and had been attracted by something outside.
"Look!" he cried.
From the absolute stillness of death, there was now wild excitement among the crooks.
"Police! Police!" they shouted to each other as they fled by a doorway to a secret passage.
Clutching Hand turned to his first assistant.
"You—go—too," he ordered.
. . . . . . . .
The dogs had led us to a strange looking house, and were now baying and leaping up against the door. We did not stop to knock, but began to break through, for inside we could hear faintly sounds of excitement and cries of "Police—police!"
The door yielded and we rushed into a long hallway. Up the passage we went until we came to another door.